


The Shadows of your Heart

by scarletsptember



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-10
Updated: 2011-05-10
Packaged: 2017-10-19 05:53:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/197654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletsptember/pseuds/scarletsptember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was all part of a higher plan. At least that's what Gabriel had come to understand. For seventy-two minutes he was gone from either plain of existence when Death makes him an offer. Stick with Sam and do exactly as he says or be no more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Shadows of your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Extreme spoilers for Season 5!!

It was all part of a higher plan. At least that’s what Gabriel had come to understand. He did die. For seventy-two minutes he was gone for either plain of existence. Instead Death had him with that grim smile and those narrowed eyes of his trying to figure out what to do with him.

They sat across from each other just outside of New Orleans eating the best damn Gumbo Gabriel ever had the pleasure of tasting while he awaited his fate. “It’s good yes?”

“The best I’ve ever had.”

Gabriel sat up straighter under Death’s gaze and felt his chest tighten when the spoon clanked against the porcelain of the bowl. Dinner’s over boys. “You have a choice little angel. You go back and you do exactly as I say or you are no more.”

Gabriel licked his lips waiting for more of an explanation but he should have known that he wasn’t going to get any more of one. Death was a finicky bastard like that at times.

“The clock is ticking and that vessel you created is only going to remain as it was for so long.”

There wasn’t much of a decision to make. He had seen so much life in his last years of living within the realm of hunters. Sam and Dean had shown him that humans were stronger, more loyal than most gods and angels out there. Life wasn’t about toeing the line like he had been. It was what you made of it and Gabriel didn’t do enough the first time around. He just hoped that Death didn’t have a sick sense of humor and wanted to see him in a pink tutu.

“I’ll do it.”

“I had thought you would.” Death picked broke off a piece of bread and dipped it into the Gumbo. He chewed thoughtfully before sipping at his iced-tea and folding his hands together on top of the red and white plaid table cloth. “You’ve got an attachment to the youngest Winchester, Sam?”

“What happened to him?”

“He will need your help. More precisely, I will need your help.” Death dabbed another piece of bread in the soup, dark eyes meeting Gabriel’s. “But you can not be seen.”

“What do you need me to do?” Gabriel asked.

“That shall be discussed when the situation presents it’s self.” Death stood up. “But for now? You go back to your vessel. You protect Sam the best you can. If you do well we’ll forget about the pink tutu.”

Gabriel blinked and found himself lying where he was supposed to be dead. He pressed his hands to his chest and took a deep breath. He could do this.

~*~

 

The moment Sam makes the phone call to Bobby and suggests that he takes control of Lucifer and jumps in the cage himself Gabriel knew why Death wanted him at Sam’s side. Sam was going in and he was going in right along if Dean and Bobby couldn’t come up with some magical ritual to stop Lucifer’s plan.

It only becomes clearer when Brady steps in the picture recounting every way Sam’s life had been set into motion. He had no choice. Well Sam has a choice in how he deals with Brady and how he puts Lucifer away.

He sees the worry in Dean’s face when Sam gets close to Brady. Even he can feel Sam’s anger sparking across the air and he wants nothing more to step in and stop Sam from doing more than killing the damn demon. But Sam always had a way of surprising everyone. Gabriel closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer up for Sam as he disappeared with Dean. They were going to need all the help they could get.

~*~

Castiel fell. As much as the angel could. Death made sure they were there in time to stop as much of the damage as possible. It was enough time to make sure Castiel was still alive before whisking him away back to Sam. Back to the witness the pain that constantly seems to be a friend to the hunter.

They were in a convalescence home searching for Pestilence. They had been spotted by one of Pestilence’s minions and Gabriel was trying his best to filter the disease from the air so they made it out alive. A horseman against an archangel who had already died? Not his greatest idea but it kept them on their feet longer than expected, pissed Pestilence off and confused the hell out of everyone else when Cas stumbled in and chopped the idiot’s finger off.

Bobby’s an idiot for pawning his soul off to Crowley. Despite the hunter’s stupidity it was good to see Sam still had a sense of humor. Every second Sam masked with confusion he was bubbling with amusement. Asking about pictures and the use of tongue. Oh, this is why he loved being around the Winchesters. Despite how moronic their plans could be trusting demons, readily accepting possession they knew how to have a good time. They knew how to trust their hearts and believe that there was a way out of whatever mess they were in.

 

~*~

Gabriel knew what was coming next. Death told him to stay away from Chicago. If he was around Dean could see him. So he followed Sam to Niveus like he was planning to.

He watches Sam, Bobby and Cas move into the warehouse to get rid of the bad batches of vaccine. As soon as they’re in infected workers charge. Sam doesn’t hesitate with headshots right alone side Bobby.

When Sam hears cries deeper in the warehouse and makes for them, it strikes Gabriel how much of a hunter Sam really is. No matter what runs inside his blood, how afraid or how angry he is he still fights for the people who can’t fight. He keeps going when others wouldn’t. That’s why Sam was so fascinating to him. He was an endless maze of contradictions and Gabriel couldn’t get enough.

He watched as Sam helped a woman from a ladder not aware of an infected man next to him. Gabriel acted faster than he thought possible. He heard the spine crack under his hands and watched as Sam turned to see the body fall against the floor and try and figure out how it happened before running the woman towards Bobby. It was happening again and he couldn’t there fast enough. The infected had a hold on Sam, Bobby didn’t have ammo and Cas wasn’t anywhere around. He was moments away from making his presence known in order to save Sam when a hand pulled him back and a shot rang across the warehouse.

“These things can be useful,” Cas looked thoughtfully at the gun and his eyes sliding towards Gabriel.

“Can we just commit our act of domestic terrorism already?” Bobby asked frantically. Gabriel can’t agree more with Bobby. They just needed to get the hell out of there already.

 

~*~

Gabriel’s gotten used to leaning against an old car or some rusted piece of junk listening in on whatever is going on with Sam and Dean. But this takes the cake. It’s hard to listen to Dean go against everything that a big brother was by letting Sam put Lucifer back. It hurt knowing what Sam was going to go through.

He watched them get all the demon blood the trunk of the Impala could hold and thanks to him a little more. Cas couldn’t expand the trunk no matter how hard he tried but Gabriel could. So he did. Sam was able to get a few more gallons of demon blood and maybe that would help.

He sat on the backseat next to Cas, invisible to human eyes and watched his worn out brother sleep while he listened to Sam make Dean promise for a normal life. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be in this thing until the end. It was supposed to be Sam and Dean. Not Sam.

Gabriel wiped his eyes as Sam drank and drank jug after jug of demon blood until he couldn’t drink anymore. He said his goodbyes before he and Dean made his way inside the dingy house in Detroit. Gabriel went inside, steps behind the brothers. He felt the tension, the fear and felt his soul breaking for them. This was it.

Sam startled them all, even Lucifer, by destroying the demons standing guard behind them. Gabriel knows they’re talking but Lucifer isn’t looking at Sam or Dean. That smile of his is directed right at him. Like he knows something that will ruin everything and the angel at their shoulder can’t do anything to stop it this time.

“I know you have the rings.”

Sam still says yes. So much light fills the room and the only person hiding from it is Dean. Gabriel watches as Lucifer possesses Sam’s body. He watches Sam fight with all he has but it’s not enough. Lucifer wins. The eyes that are staring at him aren’t Sam’s. They’re his brother’s. They’re pure evil.

Dean tries anyway. Gabriel wraps his fingers around Dean’s shoulders to stop him from being pulled in and he watches Dean’s entire world crumble as Sam says another incantation to close the portal. “I told you - this would always happen in Detroit.”

Gabriel knows what he’s going to do and grasps Sam’s jacket to disappear right along side of him. They show up in a room full of people Sam knows. Gabriel can see it in the way his eyes drop for a second before Lucifer gains control again.

“I killed you Gabriel.”

“You thought you did.”

“Why are you here?” Gabriel ignored Lucifer’s question as he watched Sam’s body moved around the room and Lucifer informed him of who each of these people were. That they were methodically placed into Sam’s life by the monster who changed the course of his entire life. Azazel. Hazel eyes focused on Gabriel and Sam tilted his head, “You’re here for Sam aren’t you? Well Sam’s not here anymore.”

Lucifer moved in front of a cracked mirror and Gabriel could still see Sam in there, fighting against the tight hold his brother had on him. “I feel that anger, Sam. So what do you say we blow off a little steam?”

Gabriel closed his eyes and prayed that Sam realized it wasn’t him doing this. It was all Lucifer.

~*~

Gabriel stood beside Sam in Stull Cemetery. He refused to believe that Sam had given up in there. Sam wouldn’t give up. Michael is curiously watching them. Wondering how he’s alive, waiting to fight – to kill another brother. It doesn’t start until Dean shows up. Along with Cas and Bobby in tow.

Cas is gone, Bobby is dead. Lucifer is slowly beating Dean to death. Then Gabriel thinks of something. The one thing Lucifer didn’t think of. The Impala was the one home Sam and Dean shared, they loved. Gabriel moved on the opposite side of the Impala his hand resting on Dean’s shoulder. The action caught Lucifer’s eye, just like the sun. His hand faltered.

“It’s okay Dean,” Gabriel whispered and his words fell on empty words as he spotted Death standing across the Cemetery. He swallowed down his fear and Death was standing next to him. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Go with Sam, Gabriel.” Death’s hand was cold on his shoulder and Gabriel met dark eyes before he nodded. He watched it all in slow motion. Sam’s eyes registering his presence, looking at Dean.

“It’s okay Dean. It’s going to be okay. I got him.” Sam pulls the rings out of his pocket and throws them into his pocket, saying the incantation. He looks at Dean one last time and Michael tries to stop Sam but he falls backwards. Three people falling into the cage instead of one.

~*~

Gabriel stood tall in front of Sam. His skin was burning and his eyes were wild as he tracked Michael and Lucifer’s movements around the cage. Gabriel had never promised anyone anything before in his life but here and now; he’d do what ever it took to keep Sam safe. He watched the flames reflect in Lucifer’s eyes and the tension coil along Michael’s shoulders. He’d keep Sam safe if it was the last thing he’d do. “I won’t let anything happen to you Sam.”

He felt Sam’s fingers curl around his ankle and he took it as a signal of trust. A sign of belief and there was no way in this hell Gabriel was going to let Sam down. No matter how long they were here.

Lucifer charged and Gabriel braced himself for impact.

 

~*~

“You know,” Death pushed a bowl of ice cream towards Gabriel before passing over a spoon, “You did better than any other angel would have done.”

Gabriel eyed the candy topped treat before looking up to meet Death’s gaze, “Sam was gone but his soul was stuck down there.”

“But you, my little angel,” Death urged Gabriel to indulge in the treat, “Made a difficult choice. You chose to stay with his soul. You fought day and night for decades to keep him as safe as one angel could manage.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Gabriel wiped the soot from his face and choked. He could still feel Michael’s burning hold on his arm’s as Lucifer made for Sam’s soul. He fought tooth and nail against his brothers, against the fire in order to save Sam’s soul. “It wasn’t enough.”

“Are you sure about that Gabriel?” Death snapped his fingers and they were sitting in the middle of Bobby’s house watching Sam laugh with Dean before he stood up to clap Bobby on the back and walk into the kitchen grabbing three beers. “His soul is in tact because of what you did. Because of how much _you_ fought for him. Many would have fought for themselves, yet you did not. You fought for Sam since I brought you back.”

“So what now?” Gabriel watched Sam move around the kitchen searching for a bottle opener before giving up and opening the beers on the edge of the counter. Gabriel looked back to where Death was supposed to be but he found that he was alone. “Okay. Great.”

“Gabriel?” Sam spun around knocking the beers to the floor. He stared at the angel and ignored the sound of Bobby and Dean rushing into the kitchen to see what was wrong. “Gabriel?”

“You can see me?” Gabriel patted his own chest and turned around to Dean’s surprised, whoa. Gabriel spun around and grinned staring up at Sam. His eyes started to water before he jumped to wrap his arms around the giant. “Sam.”

“Gabe.” Sam bent to accommodate the angel. “You, there are no words to say how thankful I am for you.”

Gabriel looked up, his hands coming up to brush against Sam cheeks remembering how many times they had been burned and now they were smooth, unharmed. He ducked his head and pulled Sam close. He could hear Sam’s heart beating loud and strong against his ear. “You’re finally back.”

“I’d have to say that it’s you who’s finally back.” Sam whispered through the quiet of the kitchen.

 

END


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